Transportation of chickens and poultry can lead to increased fecal excretion of which two pathogens, creating aerosol hazards for poultry workers?

• A. Salmonella and Chlamydia
• B. E. coli and Listeria
• C. Campylobacter and Giardia
• D. Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus

Answer: (A)

Aerosol exposure during transport comes from drying poultry feces and dust, allowing workers to inhale pathogens shed in those droppings. Salmonella is a well-known enteric bacterium shed in poultry feces, and inhaling contaminated dust can lead to illness. Chlamydia psittaci, the cause of psittacosis in humans, is carried by birds and transmitted through inhalation of dried bird secretions and feces, making aerosolized dust a valid exposure route for poultry workers. The other options don’t fit the typical aerosol risk profile from poultry feces during transport: Campylobacter is common in poultry but not classically linked to inhalation from dust in this setting; Giardia is a intestinal parasite more associated with water and surface contamination than inhaled aerosols; Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus are more commonly associated with skin or foodborne exposures rather than aerosols from poultry dust.